State football: New Rochelle grabs dramatic semifinal win

Blows 20-0 lead, scores late TD for victory

12:27 AM,
Nov. 18, 2012

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Somehow, stunningly, New Rochelle suddenly trailed by a point with 1:35 to play. Somewhere on the sideline, Joe Clarke paced, searching for the will to stave off a would-be collapse that would sit there in Huguenots lore alongside both the legendary wins and most painful defeats.

Just a few weeks ago, this team experienced a similar feeling, flushing a three-touchdown lead at North Bergen in New Jersey, losing its only game all season by the same score that now showed on the scoreboard. This time, the coaches reminded Clarke and his teammates why this outcome would be different.